Natural Rivals: John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of America's Public Lands

A dynamic examination that traces the lives of two of the most influential figures—and their dueling approaches—on America's natural landscape.

John Muir, the most famous naturalist in American history, protected Yosemite, co-founded the Sierra Club, and is sometimes called the Father of the National Parks. A poor immigrant, self-taught, individualistic, and skeptical of institutions, his idealistic belief in the spiritual benefits of holistic natural systems led him to a philosophy of prese...